Our oldest son, Andy, still has the stub from every ticketed event he attended before he married in 1997. The box is still in our storage. I’m not sure why the box didn’t travel with him when he married. Nevertheless, this box of memories is one of many items collected throughout Andy’s childhood. Now one might assume he is saving those items thinking they will be of great worth one day. Some may be, but most will be of no value to anyone other than Andy. Most remind him of stories or people. At some point, it becomes difficult to house this collection of memories.

Upon further thinking, I realized churches can become pack rats of ineffective programs and events that are often tied to memories of the person who helped launch them, a special era in the life of the church, and the list goes on. Many of these are rich in tradition and history.

After rereading Simple Church, I found the simple church process one that can provide simple solutions during these tough economic times. You will recall the simple process as:

Step 1: Clarity--Design a simple process for making and growing disciples.

Step 2: Movement –Place your key programs along the process knowing you are trying to move people to greater levels of spiritual vitality.

Step 3: Alignment—Unite all ministries around your process.

Step 4: Focus—Begin to eliminate things outside the process.

I think Step 4 is the hardest because we, church leaders, must learn to say no and say no often. As negative as that sounds, 46% of the vibrant churches strongly agreed or agreed that they seek to eliminate programs that are not in the process.  Only 22% of comparison churches agreed or strongly agreed, so the vibrant churches were twice as likely to intentionally eliminate programs outside the focus of the process.

That’s easier said than done, right? Perhaps the economic situation today will provide the push churches need to insure the best use of available resources. Discuss the following with leaders to determine how well you can say no to those things that can make church complex and eat up your valuable resources (people, money, time, space, etc.).

-      Knowing what you know now, if you were launching existing programs, ministries, or events today; would you move ahead? Those things to which you answer no are likely things you need to eliminate and certainly stop assigning resources.

-      Look for duplications, especially in care and ministry. For example, many churches use their Sunday School or other ongoing Bible study groups as the structure for care and ministry to members and prospects. The same churches may have duplicate caring systems based on other groups to which people belong in the church. Unfortunately, when several groups share responsibility for care and ministry, the better the chance people fall between the cracks because one group may think another will provide the care.

-      Brainstorm ways to use existing programs that are already aligned with your process when you feel the need to add something. For example, if you want to study biblical stewardship, overview the focus of the next year’s Bible studies. Identify those you might adapt or highlight to focus on stewardship. More people are already in existing groups, you are already paying for existing Bible study curriculum, you save time (not another weekly meeting) and keep you schedule more “simple” by using existing Sunday School classes or ongoing Bible study groups.

-      Create a series of questions you can provide those who request the creation of new programs or ministries, the first of which would ask them to describe how this ministry aligns with the church’s simple process for making and growing disciples. Be sure to include a question asking how this new ministry might fit within an existing structure.  For example, instead of creating another structure for single adult ministry; allow existing Sunday School classes to provide the structure, especially for care and ministry.

-      Evaluate how well and how often special offerings or other collections align with your church’s process. Many adult Sunday School classes “pass the basket” frequently and can unintentionally undermine how the church provides monetary resources for those things that have already been determined to align with the church disciple making process. Even when comments such as giving as you are able and as you see fit are shared, many people who are experiencing economic distress may feel uncomfortable to the point they disconnect at a time they really need to be closely connected with their church family.

You’ve got the idea now. Think about your own “simple” solutions during these tough economic times.

Source: Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger, Simple Church (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2006) 205, 236-241.